Holly's Blaze
by Element07
Summary: Hollyblaze has earned her Warrior name many times over, but when a new prophecy emerges with her at its center her loyalty is put to the test. Will one special clanmate be able to save his Clan and the one he loves from complete disaster? Read Review
1. Alone

A/N: I'm still trying out a few different ideas for a good Warriors story so if this story isn't well received I'll probably move onto another idea. I don't own Warriors.

A slender black paw touched the small pool, causing ripples to break apart the starlight that gathered on the surface. The cat sat quietly in the darkness, her green eyes searching the waters as if expecting to be greeted by someone. When no one rose from the starry waters the she-cat let out a deep sigh and twitched her ears sadly. She had always thought that even though she wasn't a medicine cat she would too feel closer to her ancestors at the starry pool. But, all the beautiful sight did was make her feel more alone than ever.

The she-cat stayed there until the stars began to fade, hoping to see some sign of who she was looking for. Finally admitting defeat she rose to her paws, ignoring the weariness that seemed to sink into her limbs during the long, cold night. Without even sparing a second glance at the pool she padded out of the hollow.

A strong wind blew from over the moors and ruffled her fur, making her mood even fouler. A whole night of much needed rest was wasted, and all for nothing. There was no sign of comfort that she wasn't alone after all.

Instead of returning to her camp she raced to the edge of the lake to watch the first rays from the sun bounce off of the water. This was where she came when she needed to get away from her clanmates, but today all she wanted to do was to get away from herself.

Her ears pricked as she heard the leaves behind her begin to rustle. Whipping around, her eyes widened in alarm as she faced the intruder. The rustling grew louder as a small gray paw slowly emerged from the bracken. The she-cat let her fur lay flat as she recognized the sightless blue eyes that always seemed to pierce her fur.

"You startled me, Jayfeather," she meowed sharply. "Though I'm not sure why I'm surprised with the way you storm through the forest like a grumpy badger."

Jayfeather narrowed his eyes and dismissed the comment with a flick of his tail. "You shouldn't be alone out here Hollyblaze," he growled. "You know that Bramblestar has forbidden you from leaving the hollow by yourself. You may not agree with his words, but I do."

Hollyblaze growled and turned her back to her brother who just happened to be the medicine cat. "I can take care of myself," she snarled. "I'm not going to be scared by a little prophecy like the rest of the Clan. How do you even know that it talks about me? How can I be a part of two prophecies?"

"_The Holly Will Catch Ablaze, Taking The Entire Forest With It_," Jayfeather meowed as he settled himself next to his sister. "Bramblestar is just being cautious, which is wise."

Hollyblaze sighed and curled her tail over her paws. "I know very well that the prophecy concerns me," she said softly. "But I don't understand how I could possibly destroy the entire forest. I've worked my whole life to uphold the Warrior Code, and now it doesn't mean anything."

Jayfeather gave his sister's ears a comforting lick, trying hard to keep his jealousy hidden. Ever since Jayfeather had received this strange new prophecy he had felt jealous of Hollyblaze. This prophecy seemed to promise Hollyblaze a new kind of power that he would never feel himself. Jayfeather prided himself on being the most powerful of his siblings with his ability to walk in other's dreams and his power as a medicine cat, but now that meant nothing.

"Jayfeather," Hollyblaze mumbled, turning her brilliant green gaze on him. "I'm afraid of what I'm going to do. No one in the Clan trusts me now that word has spread, and now I'll never get an apprentice or become deputy. I want to protect my Clan, and maybe the best way to do that is for me to leave the lake."

"And go where?" Jayfeather challenged. "To live with the Tribe? To live as a Rogue? You need your Clan, and your Clan needs you."

Hollyblaze lowered her gaze in shame, unable to answer Jayfeather.

Sensing that he had only upset her more, Jayfeather ran his tail down Hollyblaze's flank and purred softly. "Let's get back to camp. Bramblestar will claw your fur off if he finds that you disobeyed a direct order."

"He'd have to beat Squirrelflight first," Hollyblaze joked weakly.

Hollyblaze heaved herself to her paws; feeling tired beyond her years, and followed her blind brother back to the hollow. The sun had already risen high in the sky by the time they reached their camp and cats were already beginning to stir. Spiderleg, who was on guard duty at the thorn tunnel, stiffened when he saw Hollyblaze but didn't say anything after he saw that she was with her brother.

Hollyblaze stiffened with anger at the sight of the long-legged warrior for it was Spiderleg who had overheard Jayfeather discussing the prophecy to Bramblestar, and Spiderleg had made sure that every cat in the Clan knew of it before the day was up. Spiderleg had been punished, but that didn't make the feelings go away.

"Good morning, Hollyblaze," he said coolly, his voice betraying his mistrust.

"Don't talk to me you piece of fox-dung," Hollyblaze snarled, her green eyes blazing with anger.

Spiderleg's fur began to bristle, but he didn't respond. Jayfeather practically pushed his sister through the tunnel to keep her from attacking the moody warrior. Once they were through the tunnel Jayfeather quickly made his way to his den, beckoning with his tail for Hollyblaze to follow. He could tell by her paw-steps that she was reluctant to follow him, but she didn't have much choice in the matter.

Once he had his sister settled on a nice bed of moss in his den, Jayfeather made his way to Bramblestar's den. Without even bothering to announce his arrival, Jayfeather pushed his way through the den to find his father sharing tongues with his mother, Squirrelflight.

"Good morning, Jayfeather," Squirrelflight mewed.

"What can I do for you?" Bramblestar asked, sensing the anger that was coming off of Jayfeather in waves.

Jayfeather growled and sat down heavily on the sandy floor, ignoring the stab of pain as he caught a whiff of his grandfather's scent that still lingered on the walls. During a patrol Firestar had discovered a new badger set in the territory, but before he could send for help a large badger had emerged and attacked the ThunderClan leader. When Firestar awoke in Jayfeather's den a day later he only had one life left, but when greencough struck the camp Firestar was too weak to fight it off and went to stand in his rightful place in StarClan.

"Jayfeather?" Bramblestar growled as his son stalled.

Flicking his tail irritably Jayfeather sat straighter as he addressed his father. "I want you to stop the Clan from treating Hollyblaze like a disease. She's a loyal warrior and doesn't deserve to be treated like this."

"Just because you're our medicine cat doesn't give you the authority to order me around," Bramblestar snarled. "Mind your leader."

Jayfeather's fur began to fluff up out of anger so much that he looked twice his size. "Hollyblaze is your daughter," he snarled back. "And all you did by making the decision that she needs an escort at all times is make sure that she's treated differently."

"And what would you propose I should do?"

Jayfeather flicked his tail as if he thought the solution was simple. "Make Hollyblaze feel like she's still a part of the Clan. All she wants is to be the best warrior that she can be, and I don't think that you're being fair to her, I agree with making sure that she isn't alone, but all the other cats are doing is treating her like a traitor instead of a Clanmate."

Bramblestar unsheathed his claws and dug them in the floor of his den as he fought to control himself. "I want nothing more than to treat Hollyblaze like the great warrior that I know she is," he meowed sadly. "But I can't just ignore this prophecy. You're right though, Jayfeather. I think I know just the thing to do to remind herself and the rest of the Clan of her rightful place here. Where is Hollyblaze now?"

"In my den resting," Jayfeather mewed sharply at the suspicious tone in Bramblestar's voice. "Being judged by the entire Clan can be draining physically as well as emotionally. I wanted to keep an eye on her for a little while."

Bramblestar shook himself and stood up. "I'm about to call a meeting and I want her to be there. Would you go make sure that she attends?"

Jayfeather dipped his head politely, ignoring the resentment that he still felt for his father's suspicious tones. Without another word he turned around and bounded back to his den to find Hollyblaze grooming herself.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her in the gentlest tone that he could muster.

"I've felt better," was the curt reply.

Before Jayfeather could make a sharp retort he heard Bramblestar yowl, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather underneath the High Ledge for a Clan meeting!"

"Come on," Jayfeather growled, jabbing Hollyblaze sharply in the ribs with his paw. "You need to attend this meeting."

"Why? So we can discuss another way to keep an eye on me?" Hollyblaze snarled. "I'd rather stay here."

"Too bad, Bramblestar ordered me to make sure that you attend. And you know very well that the Warrior Code tells us to obey our Leader's orders."

Hollyblaze wouldn't argue against the Warrior Code. With a sigh she followed Jayfeather out of the den and sat at the edge of the cats. Their brother Lionclaw was sitting outside of the nursery, not wanting to be too far from his mate, Honeywing. He gave Hollyblaze a sympathetic glance that told her that he knew that she was nervous about what this meeting was about.

Bramblestar was standing on the High Ledge with his tail held high proudly, and he gave his deputy, Brackenfur, a small nod before he beckoned someone forward with his tail.

Hollyblaze turned to see Millie and Graystripe's kits Briarkit, Blossomkit and Bumblekit come forward, their fur neatly groomed.

_Of course_, Hollyblaze thought in relief. _Today's their apprentice ceremony._

Bramblestar looked down at the three kits and beckoned the biggest kit, Bumblekit, forward. "Until this cat has earned his warrior name he will be known as Bumblepaw. Cloudtail, you mentored Cinderstep and she is a credit to the Clan, you will be mentor to Bumblepaw." He paused a little bit to give Bumblepaw a moment to touch his new mentor's nose before continuing. Next he beckoned Blossomkit forward. "Until this apprentice has received her warrior name she will be known as Blossompaw. Sorreltail you are a cat who has known great suffering and great strength. I expect you to pass this onto Blossompaw."

Sorreltail's eyes shone with pride and grief for all that she had lost as she touched noses with her apprentice. Blossompaw looked equally excited at the idea of having such a brave warrior as her 

mentor. Finally only Briarkit was left. He was smaller than his littermates, but what he lacked in physical strength he made up for in courage and intelligence. The entire Clan gasped in surprise as Briarkit's mentor was revealed.

"Until this apprentice has earned his warrior name he will be known as Briarpaw, and your mentor will be Hollyblaze."

A/N- So…good? Bad? I'm very open to constructive criticism, but if you flame me just to be mean I'll bite back :-D REVIEW!!


	2. First Lesson

A/N- Thanks for the reviews! But I would still like some more feedback.

ThunderClan

_Leader: _

Bramblestar- dark brown tabby tom, amber eyes

**apprentice**: Rosepaw- white-and-black she-cat

_Deputy_:

Brackenfur- golden brown tabby tom

_Medicine Cat: _

Jayfeather- gray tabby tom, blind

_Warriors: _

Dustpelt- dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm- pale ginger she-cat

Cloudtail- long-haired white tom

**apprentice**: Bumblepaw- large tabby tom

Squirrelflight- ginger she-cat, green eyes

**apprentice**: Foxpaw- red tabby tom

Sorreltail- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, amber eyes

**apprentice**: Blossompaw- white-and-gray she-cat

Spiderleg- long-limbed black tom, brown underbelly, amber eyes

Whitewing- white she-cat, green eyes

**apprentice**: Icepaw- white she-cat

Millie- striped gray tabby she-cat

Graystripe- long haired gray tom

**apprentice**: Toadpaw- gray-and-white tabby tom

Berrynose- cream-colored tom

Mousewhisker- gray-and-white tom

Hazeltail- small gray-and-white she-cat

Cinderstep- gray tabby she-cat

Lionclaw- golden tabby tom

Hollyblaze- black she-cat

**apprentice**: Briarpaw- small silver tabby tom

_Queens_:

Honeywing- light brown tabby she-cat

**Mate**- Lionclaw **Kits**- expecting

Daisy- cream long-furred she-cat

**Mate**- Spiderleg **Kits**- none

Ferncloud- pale gray she-cat, green eyes

**Mate**- Dustpelt **Kits**: expecting

_Elders_:

Longtail- pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failed sight

ShadowClan

_Leader_:

Blackstar- large white tom, huge jet-black paws

**apprentice**: Dawnpaw

_Deputy_:

Rowanclaw- ginger tom

_Medicine Cat:_

Littlecloud- very small tabby tom

**apprentice**: Flamepaw

_Warriors_:

Oakfur- small brown tom

**apprentice**: Tigerpaw

Tawnypelt- tortoiseshell she-cat, green eyes

Ivytail- black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

Toadfoot- dark brown tom

Marshpelt- light brown tom

Appletail- light brown she-cat, amber eyes

Owlclaw- light brown tabby tom

_Queens_:

Snowbird- pure white she-cat

**Mate**: Smokefoot (dead) Kits: Pinekit, Frostkit

_Elders_:

Cedarheart- dark gray tom

WindClan

_Leader_:

Onestar- brown tabby tom

**apprentice**: Swallowpaw- gray she-cat

_Deputy_:

Crowfeather- dark gray tom

_Medicine Cat:_

Kestrelwing- light brown-and-white tom

_Warriors_:

Tornear- tabby tom

**apprentice**: Thistlepaw-dark brown she-cat

Owlwhisker- light brown tabby tom

Whitetail- small white she-cat

Nightcloud- black she-cat

Weaselfur- ginger tom, white paws

Harespring- brown-and-white tom

**apprentice**: Sedgepaw- gray tom

Heatherpelt- light brown tabby she-cat, blue eyes

Breezerunner- black tom, amber eyes

Gorsetail- pale gray-and-white she-cat, blue eyes

_Queens_:

None

_Elders_:

Webfoot- dark gray tabby tom

RiverClan

_Leader_:

Mistystar- gray she-cat, blue eyes

**apprentice**: Beetlepaw- dark brown tom

_Deputy_:

Reedwhisker- black tom

**apprentice**: Pricklepaw- gray she-cat

_Medicine Cat-_

Mothwing- dappled golden she-cat

**apprentice**: Willowheart- light gray she-cat

_Warriors_:

Voletooth- small brown tabby tom

**apprentice**: Sneezepaw- brown tom

Mosspelt- tortoiseshell she-cat, blue eyes

Beechfur- light brown tom

**apprentice**: Petalpaw- gray she-cat

Rippletail- dark gray tabby tom

Dawnflower- pale gray she-cat

**apprentice**: Mallowpaw- black tom

Pouncetail- ginger-and-white tom

Pebblepelt- brown she-cat

Minnowfur- silver she-cat

Graymist- pale gray tabby she-cat

Icewing- white she-cat, green eyes

_Queens_:

Dapplenose- mottled gray she-cat

**Mate**: Beechfur **Kits**: expecting

_Elders_:

Blackclaw- smoky-black tom

Stonestream- gray tom

Hollyblaze sat frozen to the spot with shock. She felt the glares of all her Clanmates scorching her fur, but she refused to give them the satisfaction of knowing that they were getting to her. Hollyblaze was about to step forward to touch noses with her apprentice when protests started to erupt.

"Don't trust her with an apprentice!" Spiderleg yowled. "She'll corrupt him and rob the Clan of a potentially powerful warrior."

"You would give a traitor like her an apprentice over your old apprentice?" Berrynose demanded, outraged.

Hazeltail shifted her paws uncomfortably and muttered, "It doesn't seem fair that she gets an apprentice. There are other warriors who could be great mentors if given the chance."

Hollyblaze felt her ears grow hot with rage at her Clanmates yowls, but she kept her head high as she stepped forward to touch noses with her first apprentice. Briarpaw's eyes were round with shock, but his tail was twitching with excitement as he met Hollyblaze's nose.

"Don't listen to them," he whispered low enough for only Hollyblaze to hear. "You'll be a great mentor."

Hollyblaze purred in amusement. "You sound more like the mentor than the apprentice. First thing we'll do is explore the territory. You up for it?"

Briarpaw's eyes shone at the challenge and he nodded enthusiastically. With his tail held high he followed Hollyblaze out of the hollow, ignoring the furious hisses and taunts at his mentor.

"Where are we going to go first?" he asked, breathless with excitement. "Can we go see the old two-leg nest? Graystripe told me that there are no signs of two-legs at all and that it's a great place to hunt."

"First I'm going to show you the border that we share with ShadowClan. We're only going to cover half of our territory today. I'm also going to give you your first hunting lesson today."

Hollyblaze slowed down her pace to match Briarpaw's smaller legs and didn't stop until they reached the border. She waited a few moments while Briarpaw cautiously sniffed at the border, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"This is the border with ShadowClan," Hollyblaze meowed. "The border used to be that first row of pine trees, but Firestar gave ShadowClan an extra stretch of territory to avoid a battle."

Briarpaw's ears flattened and he hissed, "Why give ShadowClan more territory? If anything Graystripe told me is true, than ShadowClan doesn't deserve any of _our_ territory."

Hollyblaze purred in amusement at her apprentice. "Firestar only gave away a piece of territory that we couldn't use. The clearing was too bare with no undergrowth. Our entire way of hunting depends on stalking out prey in the undergrowth. It wasn't a battle worth fighting."

"But wouldn't ShadowClan think that ThunderClan can't defend its borders?" Briarpaw pressed, his eyes wide with anxiety.

Hollyblaze flicked Briarpaw's ear with her tail. "They did try to take more of our territory after that," she admitted. "But, we've proven time and time again that ThunderClan can defend its borders, and now Blackstar thinks twice before trying to take more territory. Now how would you like your first hunting lesson?"

"Yes," Briarpaw mewed, excitedly.

"When you're stalking a mouse you need to keep your weight on your back haunches," Hollyblaze instructed while dropping into the familiar crouch. "A mouse will feel you so you need to step as lightly as possible. Today we'll just work on catching mice." Hollyblaze opened her mouth to taste the air and turned her head to look at the twisted roots of an old tree. "Can you smell it, Briarpaw?"

Briarpaw copied his mentor and gave an excited twitch of his tail. "I can smell mouse," he declared.

Hollyblaze nodded approvingly. "This is a good spot to catch mice and squirrels. Now, let's see your crouch."

Briarpaw dropped into a nearly perfect hunter's crouch and began to creep forward. Hollyblaze noted that his paw steps could be lighter, but for a first time she was impressed. Briarpaw stalked forward until he was right behind one of the roots and he peeked over. The mouse was still nibbling on a seed and it was oblivious to Briarpaw. Briarpaw glanced back at his mentor who nodded expectantly. With one mighty leap that was surprising for his size, Briarpaw landed squarely on the mouse and quickly bit down.

"That was excellent!" Hollyblaze called happily. "Most apprentices are lucky to catch something on their first hunting expedition, but you caught something on your first try."

Briarpaw purred proudly, still holding his catch. "Can I try squirrels now?" he asked, his mew muffled. "Bumblepaw said that I'll never be able to catch one and I want to prove him wrong."

"There is nothing wrong with a little apprentice rivalry," Hollyblaze mewed sternly. "But I want you to want to learn how to hunt and fight for yourself and for your Clan. The Clan always comes first, but an important thing to remember is that you have a duty to yourself as well."

"Sorry Hollyblaze. But can I try to catch a squirrel today?" Briarpaw asked, amber eyes gleaming.

"You'll learn to hunt squirrels when you perfect your hunter's crouch. For your first time you did better than I thought you ever could, but there's always room for improvement. Now let's perfect that crouch."

Dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

The rest of Briarpaw's lesson went exceptionally. Hollyblaze watched proudly as her first apprentice added two mice to the fresh kill pile while running to the Elder's den with his first caught vole in his jaws. Grabbing a large mouse for herself, Hollyblaze walked over and sat down with Graystripe and Millie who were sharing a plump sparrow.

"Hello Hollyblaze," Graystripe greeted cheerfully. "How was Briarpaw's first session?"

Hollyblaze took a bite of her mouse before replying, "He is an exceptional hunter. He caught a mouse on his very first try and he caught another mouse and a vole shortly after. If he can learn to hunt this quickly I can't wait to teach him some battle moves."

Millie purred happily for her son. "He is a quick learner. I'm so happy that Bramblestar chose you to be his mentor. Briarpaw has respected you greatly since he was three moons old."

Surprise made Hollyblaze's eyes widen. "Why should he respect me more than any other warrior?"

Millie licked her friend's ears. "He has wanted to be just like you ever since you killed that fox by yourself."

Hollyblaze looked at the scar on her side that had been her souvenir from one eventful hunting patrol. Hollyblaze had found a new fox set while hunting alone one day, and before she could return to camp for help a fox had come out and attacked her. When the sun-high patrol found her she was lying on the ground, unconscious with the dead fox close by. That battle had left Hollyblaze in the medicine cat's den for half a moon with a number of serious wounds.

"I wouldn't think that any cat would be eager to take on a fully grown fox by himself after seeing the stare you were in after that attack," Graystripe joked lightly.

"Believe me, I'm not eager to do it anytime soon either," Hollyblaze murmured.

With a yawn Hollyblaze said good night to Graystripe and Millie and headed into the warrior's den for a good night's rest. Lionclaw was already in his nest, fidgeting uncomfortably as he tried to fall asleep.

"What's the matter?"Hollyblaze yawned. "Eat a badger?"

Lionclaw sat up and glared at his sister. Hollyblaze noticed that his pelt was unusually dull and his eyes were tired. Hollyblaze sat down next to him and licked his cheek comfortingly.

"Honeywing is sick," he whispered sadly. "She has a fever and Jayfeather said that this could be a problem from the pregnancy. I wanted to stay and help, but Jayfeather sent me away. Hollyblaze what should I do?"

The sight of seeing her brother so desperate made her heart break. After Lionclaw stopped seeing Heatherpelt, then Heatherpaw, he didn't think that he would ever be that close to another cat again. After Hollyblaze was injured by the fox the two of them had realized how much they cared for each other and hardly left each other's side since. Honeywing's fever must make Lionclaw feel torn up inside.

"Honeywing is strong," Hollyblaze reminded him. "She has you and your kits to fight for. At least it's not greencough or something."

Lionclaw shuddered at the thought of his beloved mate fighting off greencough. He preferred an enemy that he could fight with tooth and claw, but sickness was something that he could never fight. "I suppose you're right," he sighed. "I'm just at my wit's end with Honeywing expecting our kits any day now. All I can think of is what can go wrong. What if I'm a terrible father?"

"Don't be a mouse-brain," Hollyblaze snapped, fatigue making her harsh. "You will be a wonderful father. You're worrying over nothing."

"I suppose you're right," Lionclaw laughed. Murmuring his thanks, Lionclaw curled up in his nest and soon fell asleep.

_Mouse-brain_, Hollyblaze thought as she crawled in her nest and let sleep overcome her.

A/N- Good? Bad? Don't care, just review!!


	3. Accomplishment

A/N-Thanks for the reviews! But more feedback would be awesome.

Hollyblaze sent Briarpaw sending across the clearing with ease, covering his silver coat in dust. He had been training for half a moon now, but Briarpaw still couldn't get the better of his mentor when it came to battle moves. The problem wasn't that Briarpaw was better at hunting than he was at fighting; the problem was that his mentor was always one step ahead of him.

Briarpaw shook the dust out of his pelt and sighed. "I can't get close to you," he mumbled. "I'm going to be the worst warrior ever."

Pity made Hollyblaze's eyes soften. She padded over to sit next to Briarpaw and gave him a comforting lick. "You'll make a brilliant warrior," she meowed softly. "Don't forget that I'm a seasoned warrior and you've just barely started training. Once you start fighting the other apprentices you'll see that you're coming along very well."

Hollyblaze's ears pricked as the undergrowth behind them started to rustle. She let her fur relax as she scented Cloudtail and his apprentice, Bumblepaw. Cloudtail waved his tail in greeting as he padded into the clearing with Bumblepaw close behind.

"Hello Hollyblaze," Cloudtail greeted friendly. Hollyblaze felt a rush of affection for the white warrior. Cloudtail was one of the few warriors in the Clan who hadn't overreacted by StarClan's prophecy, and he always stood up for her whenever a warrior spoke against her loyalty.

"Hello, Cloudtail," Hollyblaze meowed while Briarpaw greeted his brother with a sharp nod. "I've been teaching Briarpaw some offensive moves, and I would like to see how he matches up against the other apprentices. Would Bumblepaw like to take on his brother?"

Bumblepaw nodded his broad head eagerly while Briarpaw flattened his ears in worry. Bumblepaw had the size of a seasoned apprentice while Briarpaw looked like he shouldn't be out of the nursery yet.

"This is the chance that you've been waiting for," Hollyblaze whispered in Briarpaw's ear. "He may be bigger, but just as there's an advantage with every living thing there's a disadvantage. What'll be his?"

Briarpaw closed his eyes in concentration and tried to think of any weakness that his large brother might possess. Bumblepaw crouched four fox-lengths ahead of Briarpaw and lashed his tail side to side while he jeered at his younger brother.

"Come on Briar_kit_," he sneered. "Let's see if you can take on a cave guard."

"We're not part of the Tribe mouse brain," Briarpaw hissed.

Bumblepaw snarled and launched himself at Briarpaw. Thinking fast Briarpaw sidestepped and swiped at his brother as he thundered by. Bumblepaw's amber eyes narrowed in anger and he turned around and sprinted towards Briarpaw while keeping his body as close to the ground as possible.

_Come on, Briarpaw_, Hollyblaze thought worriedly_. He's trying to run underneath you._

As soon as Bumblepaw was a fox-length away, Briarpaw jumped into the air with all the power in his back legs. While Bumblepaw paused for a couple heartbeats, unsure of what to do next, Briarpaw landed in front of him and swiped at his face. Bumblepaw flinched at the strike before he pushed himself up on his two hind legs so he could land on Briarpaw. Before Bumblepaw could crash down on Briarpaw, Briarpaw head butted him right in the stomach causing Bumblepaw to fall on his back, winded.

"That's enough!" Cloudtail called while he padded over to see how his apprentice was.

Briarpaw was panting slightly, but he looked like he could keep on fighting. His eyes were shining with pride, and his pelt was bristling with excitement.

Hollyblaze padded over to him and flicked his ear with her tail. "So what was his disadvantage and what was your advantage?"

"He may be stronger than me, but he is a lot slower," Briarpaw answered proudly.

"Exactly," Hollyblaze purred. "There's no such thing as a perfect warrior, but what makes us warriors is knowing what our weaknesses are and finding a way to overcome them."

"So what's your weakness, Hollyblaze?" Briarpaw teased.

Hollyblaze gave Briarpaw a cuff behind the ears. "_I_ have no weakness," she joked. "I'm perfect."

Briarpaw purred in amusement and followed his mentor back to the hollow. They were pushing their way through the thorn tunnel when Lionclaw burst from the nursery, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Honeywing had our kits!" he yowled happily.

"Congratulations," Hollyblaze purred while she pressed her muzzle to Lionclaw's side. "How's Honeywing?"

Lionclaw sighed and sat down. "She's exhausted. Jayfeather said that she'll be weak for a while because of the toll that fever took on her, but he's confident that she'll recover."

"That's great. What are they?"

Lionclaw twitched his tail. "Three she-cats. Honeywing named them Sunkit, Owlkit and Firekit. Firekit looks exactly like Firestar," Lionclaw sighed.

"Can we see them?" Briarpaw asked.

Hollyblaze shook her head before Lionclaw could answer. "Honeywing needs rest. We can visit when she recovers. Now you can go clean out the Elder's bedding and search them for ticks."

"Longtail is the only elder," Briarpaw meowed. "Taking care of the elders isn't much of a chore."

"It doesn't matter if Longtail is the only elder," Hollyblaze meowed sternly. "He still deserves respect, now go tend to him."

"Yes Hollyblaze," Briarpaw meowed. Waiting only to congratulate Lionclaw one more time, Briarpaw rushed to Longtail's den.

"Briarpaw seems to hold onto your every word," Lionclaw observed.

Hollyblaze sighed and pressed against Lionclaw's flank for comfort. "Millie told me that Briarpaw has wanted to be like me ever since I killed that fox. He's a great apprentice and I'm honored to train him, but I'm afraid that I'll let him down. I was lucky to survive that fox attack, but I don't think he understands that I'm not a super-warrior."

Lionclaw purred in amusement. "Don't be a mouse-brain. He knows that you have your limits, but that doesn't make you any less of a super-warrior to him."

"I guess," Hollyblaze murmured, unconvinced. "Go to your kits," she ordered Lionclaw with fake seriousness. "I'm sure that there's something that you can do for Honeywing."

"Right, I'll go hunting," Lionclaw meowed. Waving his tail in farewell he raced out of the thorn tunnel.

_Hunting actually sounds like a good idea_, Hollyblaze thought. Casting anxious glances over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being watched, Hollyblaze snuck out of the dirt place tunnel. Hollyblaze enjoyed the feeling of being out of the camp by herself for the first time in days. The sun felt warmer and the air felt cooler.

Hollyblaze quickly dropped into a hunter's crouch and stalked a mouse that was hiding under the dead leaves. Her black pelt blended in well with the shadows that hid underneath the undergrowth. Hollyblaze didn't dare breathe as she slowly crept forward. The mouse didn't notice her until she had pounced and she killed it swiftly with one bite.

Feeling satisfied with her catch Hollyblaze decided to return to camp. Hollyblaze picked the dead mouse up in her jaws and started heading back to camp. All that Hollyblaze could smell was the dead mouse, but she didn't need scent when she could hear the sound of breaking undergrowth behind her.

Hollyblaze dropped her catch and whipped around with her lips drawn back in a snarl. _I bet it's Spiderleg_, she thought savagely. _Well if he wants to take on a __**traitor**__ let him try._

Hollyblaze's fury quickly changed to fear as she picked up the disgusting scent that was coming her way. A large white muzzle pushed through the bracken and a large figure stood up and swiped at Hollyblaze with one large paw.

_Badger_!

A/N-I know that it's shorter than my other chapters, but I'm working. Review!!


	4. Fury

A/N-Thanks to my reviewers and to my readers who won't write a review (review you lazy bums!). Anyway, enjoy.

Hollyblaze was frozen to the spot as the badger thundered out of the bracken and snarled at her. The badger was large, probably female, and its eyes were cold with hatred for the pitiful creature that was before her. Hollyblaze had fought her fair share of badgers, but never by herself.

_I had never thought a fox by myself either_, she thought grimly. _I made it through that for the most part, and I'll have to make it through this._

The badger raised one large paw and took a swipe at Hollyblaze. With less than a mouse tails length to spare, Hollyblaze jumped back. The badger pushed itself on its back legs and snarled its fury. While the badger was standing Hollyblaze sprinted straight towards it, but she veered to the right. When the badger leaned to crash down on Hollyblaze, she quickly turned to her left and clawed at the badger's leg. Blood and fur gathered beneath her claws and Hollyblaze felt a twinge of satisfaction. The badger shook out its leg and snarled while Hollyblaze leapt back.

"Badger!" she yowled at the top of her lungs. "Help!"

She barely had time to yowl for help when the badger knocked her aside with the back of its paw. Hollyblaze skidded painfully to the other side of the clearing and lay winded for a couple of heartbeats. Without waiting for Hollyblaze to get back to her feet, the badger ran up to her and slammed her paw down on Hollyblaze's side and dug her claws into her black fur.

Hollyblaze yowled in pain and kicked out with her back legs in a weak attempt to dislodge the badger. Blood was beginning to stain the badger's white fur red and Hollyblaze could feel herself beginning to weaken.

Suddenly a furious yowl sounded from the other side of the clearing. Hollyblaze looked up weakly and saw Lionclaw standing there with Jayfeather at his side. Even though Jayfeather was blind he was still a competent fighter as long as it was only a couple of opponents. Lionclaw screeched and 

launched himself at the badger. The badger swiped Hollyblaze to the side and turned her attention to the more promising opponent. Lionclaw landed right in front of the badger and jumped into the air again. In midair he twisted and landed on the badger's back. The badger screeched and tried to dislodge the powerful warrior, but Lionclaw had his claws in deep.

While the badger was distracted, Jayfeather clawed at her hind legs. Jayfeather's sightless eyes were narrowed in anger. Whenever the badger tried to swipe at Jayfeather he easily dodged it and jumped right back into his scratch frenzy.

Hollyblaze watched her brothers fighting so hard to drive off the badger that had nearly killed her_. I can't let them fight my battles for me_, she thought determinedly.

With a massive push she managed to get back to her paws. Her side hurt terribly, but Hollyblaze wasn't about to let a small wound like that slow her down. Hollyblaze sprinted underneath the badger using a move that would work just as well on a RiverClan cat and slashed at the badger's soft belly. Before the badger could crash all of her weight down on Hollyblaze, she was well out of range.

The badger accepted defeat and began to retreat through the bracken. Lionclaw clung to the badgers back for as long as he could before he leaped off and hissed at the retreating badger.

Hollyblaze felt triumph at the fact that she and her siblings had been able to drive off such a powerful badger by themselves, but she couldn't ignore her injuries any longer. With a soft gasp she collapsed onto her uninjured side and trembled as her wound began to take its toll.

Jayfeather was at her side in less than a heartbeat and sniffed anxiously at the claw marks in her side. "I need cobwebs and marigold," he growled to Lionclaw who was running over. "Now!"

Lionclaw sprinted into the forest, leaving Jayfeather alone with Hollyblaze who was shaking. The wound wasn't as deep as it could've been, but it could still prove to be fatal. Jayfeather rested his tail on his sister's shoulder and began to lick the blood from the fur around the wound.

"Don't worry, Hollyblaze," he whispered. "I'm here to take care of you."

Blood was still coming out of the wound and Jayfeather knew that if the bleeding wasn't stopped she wouldn't make it back to the camp. Lionclaw soon burst through the bracken with a large wad of cobwebs in his mouth, much to Jayfeather's relief.

He put it by Jayfeather's paws and looked anxiously at his sister. "I don't know where to find the marigold."

Jayfeather scooped the cobwebs in his paws and pressed it onto Hollyblaze's wound causing her to wince in pain. "There's some in my den. But that can wait. The important thing now is to stop the bleeding. I need more cobwebs."

By the time Lionclaw returned with another wad of cobwebs the first ones were already soaked with blood. Jayfeather sniffed Hollyblaze's wound and twitched his ears.

"I think the bleeding has stopped. I can help her more back at camp though."

"We need more cats to carry her back to camp," Lionclaw observed.

"Then go get help," Jayfeather snapped.

Hollyblaze lifted her head weakly as Lionclaw raced back towards camp. "There's no need to be so harsh, Jayfeather."

"He may be brilliant in battle, but he is as useless as a mouse tail when it comes to the aftermath. I had to kick him out of the nursery after Honeywing had their kids because he wouldn't give me some space. Warriors," he scoffed.

Hollyblaze heard the thunder of paw steps as Lionclaw brought more warriors to help. She could faintly recognize the dark pelt of her father, Bramblestar, and the gray pelt of her best friend, Cinderstep.

"Lionclaw said that there was a badger," Bramblestar panted.

Cinderstep yowled in dismay as she saw the state her best friend was in and raced to her side. Cinderstep gently nosed Hollyblaze's shoulder and purred comfortingly. "Looks like Hollyblaze wanted to add a badger to her record. Killing a fox wasn't enough," she joked weakly.

"We need to carry her back to camp," Jayfeather growled. He pointed at the cobwebs on Hollyblaze's side and mewed, "I don't want those cobwebs moved. I stopped the bleeding, but I still don't want to risk moving them."

"Isn't there anything else you can do here?" Bramblestar demanded.

Jayfeather's fur began to bristle. "I can help her more in my den. Now let's go!"

Bramblestar nodded and gently pushed his body underneath his daughter's limp form. Cinderstep stayed close to one side and Lionclaw the other to make sure that Hollyblaze didn't slip. They moved agonizingly slow back to camp. Jayfeather raced through the thorn tunnel ahead of them and ran to his den to prepare the herbs that he would need.

They didn't stop until Hollyblaze was situated on a soft nest of moss. Bramblestar protested when Jayfeather ordered them to leave, but he eventually bowed his head and exited the den. Jayfeather chewed up a few marigold leaves and gently pressed them into the wound after he removed the wad of soaked cobwebs.

"Don't move, Hollyblaze," he ordered when Hollyblaze started to move in her nest.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "How bad does it look?"

Jayfeather sighed and continued to chew up marigold leaves into a fine poultice. He began to lick it onto her wound and only stopped when he was satisfied that the entire wound was covered. "It's bad," he admitted to his sister. "If you can stay still you should be fine, but I'm still worried about infection. I could smell the dirt in that filthy badger's claws."

Hollyblaze lifted her head and looked at Jayfeather sternly. "Am I going to be here for as long as I was after the fox attack? I don't want to lose my first apprentice."

"If you do as I say and don't move you might be out of here in less than a quarter moon, but you won't be able to do battle training with Briarpaw for a while."

"No," she groaned and sank back into her nest. "He is such a talented apprentice and I love training him. I couldn't have asked for a better apprentice."

As if on cue a loud yowl sounded from outside Jayfeather's den. Before either Jayfeather or Hollyblaze could react a small silver shape burst through and stared at Hollyblaze.

"Hollyblaze!" Briarpaw gasped. Tentatively he padded over and touched Hollyblaze's cheek with his muzzle. "What happened?"

Jayfeather moved Briarpaw away with a cuff to the ear. "Don't get in my way," he growled. "Your mentor thought she could take on a large badger all by herself."

"Will she be okay?" Briarpaw asked. "Can I do anything to help? Please let me help," he pleaded.

Patience was not Jayfeather's strong point. "You can help by leaving my den so I can heal her," he snapped.

Hollyblaze blinked sympathetically at her frightened apprentice. "I'll be fine," she rasped. "Remember, I'm the perfect warrior who has no weaknesses."

Briarpaw purred in amusement at their private joke. After giving Hollyblaze a quick lick on the cheek he padded out of the den with his tail dragging in the dirt.

"Jayfeather," Hollyblaze asked painfully. "Before you give me some poppy seeds I would like to talk to Bramblestar."

"Sure," Jayfeather grumbled. Turning his head he yowled to summon his father, knowing that he was still standing right outside the den.

Bramblestar padded confidently in the den and turned to Jayfeather. "Will she be alright?" he asked.

"If she rests and if there's no infection, she should. But rest is the most important thing that can be done for her now is to let her rest. The wound isn't as deep as it could've been and she's strong. If there aren't any problems she should recover between a quarter and a half moon."

"Good," Bramblestar meowed in relief.

"Bramblestar," Hollyblaze meowed. "I want to know what you're planning to do about Briarpaw. I won't be able to train him for a while, but I don't want to lose him as my apprentice."

"He will need a temporary mentor," Bramblestar meowed thoughtfully. "Do you have anyone in mind?"

"I trust Lionclaw the most with my apprentice," Hollyblaze meowed sternly.

"Lionclaw it is," Bramblestar meowed happily. "I don't think that a ceremony is really necessary so I'll let Lionclaw and Briarpaw know."

Nodding to Jayfeather, Bramblestar exited the den.

"Alright, now I'm going to give you some poppy seeds," Jayfeather murmured and he rolled three seeds underneath Hollyblaze's muzzle. Amusement flicked from his pelt as he added, "Briarpaw will be disappointed that you won't be training him for almost half a moon."

"What do you mean?" Hollyblaze asked drowsily while the seeds took effect.

"Well not many apprentices would be as worried about their mentors as Briarpaw was about you." Jayfeather waited until Hollyblaze was asleep and her breathing slowed before whispering, "But, I'd imagine that any cat would feel that way if the one they loved was nearly killed by a badger."

A/N-I would like some constructive criticism. So if you're willing to read this fic, then you should be willing to review and let me know what I can work on. REVIEW!!


	5. Recovery

A/N-I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while. For those who feel that it is their duty to let me know that my names are wrong or that Briarkit is actually a she-cat, remember that I started this story before Eclipse was released. I just find it funny that I got the surname "blaze" right even if I gave it to the wrong cat :-D REVIEW!!

Hollyblaze shifted impatiently in her nest and tried to get more comfortable. A quarter-moon had already passed since she had nearly been killed by the badger and she was waiting for Jayfeather to tell her she could leave the Medicine Cat's den. He had to remind her constantly that even though she would be okay to leave the den she wouldn't be fit to train Briarpaw or to do much else for another half-moon.

_ I may not be able to fight_, she thought determinedly. _But I can still be a part of his training._

Leaf-bare was just around the corner and the camp was always active with cats making preparations for the hard season. Jayfeather was always in and out of his den, collecting as many herbs as he could in preparation. He managed to get Briarpaw and Lionclaw to help him out a lot. All Jayfeather had to do was tell Briarpaw that this specific herb would help Hollyblaze and he would race to get it.

"He does it each time," Jayfeather had grumbled to Hollyblaze when she commented on it. "He's afraid that the one time that he doesn't do it is the one time you really need something." Despite his harsh tone, Hollyblaze could tell that Jayfeather really admired her apprentice's devotion to his mentor.

Hollyblaze lifted her head when she heard Jayfeather returning from his latest herb patrol. Jayfeather was worried about greencough and wanted to collect as much catmint as he could before the cold killed the rest.

"Did you manage to find some catmint?" Hollyblaze asked when Jayfeather padded past her. She could pick up the sweet smell of catmint but it was faint.

"Not much," Jayfeather growled. "It's getting colder, and if there's one thing that Leafpool drilled into my head it's: cold brings weakness and sickness." Jayfeather paused before adding, "Leafpool may be gone, but I'll never let her die."

Hollyblaze felt her stomach tighten at the memory of their beloved medicine cat. Leafpool had worked herself sick when Firestar had caught green cough and eventually it took her too, despite Jayfeather's best attempts. Her passing had actually shocked Jayfeather into respecting his responsibilities to the Clan.

"Mothwing has a large supply, doesn't she? Why don't you go and ask her for some before anyone gets sick. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm feeling fine."

Jayfeather snorted and rested his tail on the cobwebs that completely covered Hollyblaze's side. "You know that I don't like to leave my patients. I don't need to worry about green cough for another quarter moon or so. You'll be fine by then. "

"She better be," Bramblestar's deep meow sounded from just outside the den. Bramblestar's paw steps were heavy as he padded up to his daughter and gave her an affectionate lick on the ear. "I can't have one of my best warriors stuck in the medicine cat's den, now can I?"

"I don't want to be stuck in here," Hollyblaze growled. "I want to patrol, hunt and train Briarpaw. But there are some cats who wish I hadn't made it," she added bitterly.

"You are a loyal cat," Bramblestar assured her. "Some cats have just seen to forgotten that."

Hollyblaze scoffed and sat up, wincing at the stinging in her side. "Those cats are cowards who freak out at whatever prophecy StarClan tells us. I have done nothing wrong, and everyone knows that! Why can't they trust me?"

Weariness made Bramblestar's paws feel numb. "You come from a difficult heritage. You have the heroics of Firestar running through your veins, but you also have the difficult heritage of Tigerstar. This prophecy makes cats see Tigerstar, not you." Bramblestar licked his daughter's cheek and turned to leave. "You need to fight for loyalty," he meowed sadly. "I will do what I can to help you, but in the end it's up to you."

Hollyblaze sat in the shadows of the medicine cats den thinking how thin the line between being a loyal warrior and a traitor seemed. _I will follow the warrior code_, she thought firmly. _As long as I have the code, I don't need any cat's approval._

A/N-I know that it's short, but I'm really busy. Remember that I started this story before _Eclipse_ came out so I guessed on a lot of names and such. REVIEW!


	6. Owlkit

A/N- I'm not known for beinga frequent updater  I hope that this chapter was worth the wait.

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"No, Briarpaw!" Hollyblaze snapped from the edge of the clearing. "You need to put more power in your hind legs, just like Lionclaw."

"Sorry, Hollyblaze," Briarpaw panted.

Lionclaw snorted to cover up his laughter. He was still Briarpaw's temporary mentor, but ever since Jayfeather had given her the okay, Hollyblaze had watched every training session and always had a colorful range of opinions.

"The badger-defense is difficult," Lionclaw spoke in Briarpaw's defense. "It's especially difficult for smaller cats like Briarpaw who don't have as much muscle to push themselves into the air."

"Smaller cats also don't have as much weight to push off of the ground," Hollyblaze snapped.

Briarpaw glanced nervously between his two mentors. "It's okay," he murmured to Lionclaw so Hollyblaze couldn't hear. "She's always been tough, it's not just because of her irritation."

"Lionclaw, will you show him again?" Hollyblaze called. "I want him to see just how much power it takes to do this move."

"It's getting late Hollyblaze," Lionclaw yawned. "You're working poor Briarpaw to exhaustion and you're in no condition to follow our training sessions so thoroughly. Jayfeather told me he'd claw my ears off if your wounds opened up even a little bit."

Hollyblaze felt her temper begin to burn her pelt. Biting back a snarl, she heaved herself to her paws and slowly padded over to her apprentice. "Sorry, Briarpaw," she meowed while she put her tail on his shoulder. "I had trouble with the badger-defense when I was training too."

Briarpaw held his head higher at her touch and shrugged. "The more trouble I have training just gives me more motivation. I'm not gonna sit in the apprentice's den sharing tongues while Bumblepaw gets stronger."

"I guess beating Bumblepaw is your biggest motivation," Hollyblaze sighed. "Maybe someday your biggest motivation will be the Warrior Code."

"Sorry, Hollyblaze," Briarpaw mumbled, disheartened.

Lionclaw stepped between the two and gave his sister a soft nudge to her flank. "Not every cat can use that motivation technique, Hollyblaze. As long as it works for Briarpaw, why scold him?"

She didn't respond to that. She wasn't angry with Briarpaw, but she wasn't pleased with him either. Hollyblaze hissed quietly in frustration and headed back to camp as quickly as her injuries would allow.

Briarpaw stared after his oblivious mentor, with longing burning his pelt. Every reasoning thought told him that it was a mistake to pad after his mentor, but every time that she approached him, or called his name his pelt warmed as if the sun shone directly on top of him.

By the time they made it back to the thorn tunnel Hollyblaze's tail was dragging in the dirt and her breath was short.

"Are you alright Hollyblaze?" Briarpaw asked in concern.

"Fine," she responded curtly. "I'm just a little tired."

Lionclaw stepped up and used his shoulder to support her. "You should have told me that you were so tired," he gently scolded her. "You won't ever recover if you push yourself too hard."

They padded through the tunnel and Lionclaw lead Hollyblaze to the medicine cat's den to see Jayfeather. He was back from his trip to Riverclan, and was adding a large bundle of catmint to his herb stores. At the sound of Hollyblaze and Lionclaw, he turned around and snorted when he sensed Hollyblaze's harsh breathing.

"Don't make me confine you to camp again," he growled. "You will never recover if you don't recognize your limits."

Lionclaw helped Hollyblaze into her nest. She sat down with a tired sigh and laid her head on her paws. "I won't be able to take Briarpaw's training over again if I don't know what he has learned. He deserves the best training he can get and I want to give it to him."

Jayfeather stepped up to her and sniffed her wound quickly. "Then you should watch parts of the training. Lionclaw will fill you in on everything if you don't pester him about it first."

Lionclaw purred in amusement. "I'm going to visit Honeywing," he said while he licked Hollyblaze on the cheek. "She needs a break from the kits. Firekit is proving to be a pawful!"

Jayfeather tilted his head in interest and gave his tail a small twitch. "I would actually like to talk to you about Owlkit. She shows a lot of interest in herbs and Starclan. She might make a good medicine cat."

"Really?" Lionclaw asked in surprise. "You want to train my daughter?"

"If you're skeptical about the idea," Jayfeather snapped. "Then bring her over to my den and I will show you what I'm talking about."

Biting back a reply, Lionclaw padded out of the den leaving Hollyblaze with a snappy Jayfeather who was walking towards his herb stores. Knowing better than to talk to Jayfeather when he was in one of his moods, Hollyblaze shifted the moss around her so that she would be more comfortable. She couldn't believe that the kits were almost two moons old, Hollyblaze's wound for the most part was healed, but her inability to stay still had delayed the would from completely vanishing. Before she had even finished shifting the moss around, Lionclaw's gentle mew was approaching the den, and Owlkit's excited mew followed.

"Hi Jayfeather, Hollyblaze!" Owlkit greeted her aunt and uncle enthusiastically.

"Hello Owlkit," Hollyblaze said happily.

Jayfeather nodded in response and motioned with his tail for Owlkit to come closer. "Owlkit, do you want to show your father all the herbs that you have learned?"

Owlkit's eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. She sat down, her tail twitching in excitement while Jayfeather padded up with a wad of different herbs in his jaws. He set them down and spread them out with his paw.

"Some of these herbs are the herbs that I've been using to treat Hollyblaze," Jayfeather told the happy kit. "Will you show me which ones that I should give Hollyblaze?"

Owlkit took a step forward and sniffed at the herbs. For a kit of only about two months, Owlkit was incredibly intelligent and spent most of her time with Jayfeather than she did playing with her sisters. With a small and gentle paw, Owlkit separated two different herbs from the rest.

"Good," Jayfeather said approvingly. "Now will you please tell me what they are and what they are used for."

"They are dock leaves and horse tail," Owlkit said knowingly. "Dock leaves are used to treat scratches and horse tail is used for infection."

"Why am I using horse tail instead of marigold?" Jayfeather asked.

"Because marigold is the stronger herb that is used for infection, and because Hollyblaze's would is mostly healed, horse tail is the better herb," Owlkit said with her head held high.

Jayfeather purred approvingly. "That's right, now which do I put on first and why?"

Owlkit touched the dock leaf with her tiny paw. "You put the dock leaves on first because it's the juice that you need. When you use horse tail, you chew it into a poultice and if you put that on before the dock leaf, then the juice won't get through."

"Excellent," Jayfeather said happily. "Will you treat Hollyblaze just like I showed you?"

"Yes! Thank you Jayfeather," Owlkit said happily. She immediately took the dock leaf in her jaws and began working on treating Hollyblaze while Jayfeather led Lionclaw outside with his tail.

Lionclaw was stunned with how much his young daughter knew. "She really does know a lot for her age," he said in awe. The thought of his daughter being a medicine cat made his chest feel warm with pride, but the thought of everything that she would be missing left a knot in his stomach, a bigger knot than the one that had formed when Jayfeather became a medicine cat.

Jayfeather sensed his brother's thoughts and scoffed. "There are things that she would miss out on in her life," he agreed. "But your daughter wants to learn more. I won't talk to Bramblestar until we both know that this is what she really wants. She has a choice, and I did not."

"How will we know?" Lionclaw asked.

"If she keeps coming to my den, I will keep teaching her," Jayfeather said. "But, I won't ask her or pressure her with a decision until she is five moons old. If her answer is yes then I will talk to Bramblestar about mentoring her."

Lionclaw sighed and nodded. "I know I should be proud, well prouder, but she's my daughter, and I guess I hoped that she would take after me and become a skilled warrior."

"Don't count Sunkit or Firekit out yet," Jayfeather advised. "Firekit has just as much energy as you did when we were kits. You have great kits."

Before Lionclaw could puff his chest out in pride, Owlkit came running out of the den and bowled right into her father. "I finished Jayfeather," she announced proudly. "Can I come back later?"

Jayfeather purred, he had a soft spot for his niece. "Of course, if you come tomorrow I'll show you how to sort dead herbs from live ones."

"Great! Bye Jayfeather!" Without another word, Owlkit ran towards the nursery to tell her father what she had done.

"Well," Jayfeather started. "Let's see how she did."

They padded into the den and found Hollyblaze sleeping. Jayfeather sniffed her wound and looked up to Lionclaw, his sightless eyes shining with pride.

"Your daughter did a perfect job, someday she might be a better medicine cat than even me."

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A/N- I'm not dead! I would like 5 reviews before I write the next chapter!


	7. Author's Note

**I am terribly sorry that I haven't updated any of my stories for a long time. My laptop, which of course has all of my stories on it, got a virus **

**and I won't be able to post the chapters that I have finished until possibly September. The chapters were pretty much done when my computer**

** got infected. Sorry, but everyone's gonna have to be patient for a little while longer! Please review my story!**

**-Element07**


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